Tommy Chong and Cheech Marin gained notoriety in the early 1970s by bringing audiences into the hilarious haze of stoner culture.
Chong is the first to admit that the comedy duo is no longer so far out of the mainstream. Recreational marijuana has been legalized in two states, and voters in Alaska and Oregon will weigh in on the issue in November.
"When we started, we were the counterculture, now we're the over-the-counter culture," he said.
Cheech and Chong will perform their stage show this week in Anchorage as part of their "Up in Smoke" tour featuring the band WAR. Chong said the timing of their appearance in Alaska is no coincidence. (Yes on 2 spokesman Taylor Bickford said the campaign had no involvement in bringing Cheech and Chong to Anchorage).
"The backers of the initiative [to legalize recreational marijuana in Alaska] want all of the heavy guns out," he said. "I think Cheech and I symbolize a lot of what's good about pot."
They are certainly synonymous with the marijuana scene.
The duo met in western Canada in the early '70s and immediately started to develop their pot-centric brand of humor.
Their iconic routine, "Dave's Not Here," revolves around a conversation between the two on either side of a door. Marin, as Dave, has the "stuff" and is trying to get inside, repeating over and over that it's Dave at the door. But an aloof Chong refuses entry, at one point claiming, "Dave's not here," confounding Marin in what is in essence a stoner's version of Abbott and Costello's "Who's on First."
In fact, Chong said the bit was an accident as they were practicing and recording another routine on an especially hot day, which sparked Marin's authentic reaction to the stonewalling.
"I was staring at the recorder and just said 'Who is it?'" he said. "After a few seconds, I realized we had the beginnings of a comedy bit. How long could I keep him out there? I'm torturing him. It's sweltering outside and I'm inside with the AC. After I said, 'Dave's not here,' he went nuts."
The bit went viral by 1970s standards, getting distributed and played on hundreds of radio stations. That spark led the duo to record a string of nine comedic albums that yielded a Grammy award and three more nominations. Cheech and Chong's film career was just as lucrative, with eight films co-written by the pair and directed by Chong.
For nearly 30 years, Cheech and Chong didn't perform as a duo, after a split in the mid-1980s when Marin ventured on his own to write and star in "Born in East L.A.," causing hard feelings for Chong, who said he'd always made Marin the star of the movies.
During the break-up, Marin continued to cement his status as a top Chicano comedian. He worked alongside Don Johnson in the TV series "Nash Bridges," was a favorite of filmmaker Robert Rodriguez and voiced characters in major animated films ("The Lion King," "Cars").
Chong, meanwhile, stayed active in the marijuana scene, both advocating legalization and capitalizing on his celebrity in pro-marijuana circles.
Chong said he has established his own brand of marijuana in both Colorado and Washington.
"I was there on opening day in Colorado," he said. "We've got product in dispensaries in both states."
Chong's career has taken some strange turns in recent years, even by his standards. He is competing in the current edition of "Dancing with the Stars," referring to himself as the 19th season's "older, sexy guy."
"I did an audition two years ago," he said. "I took a few dance lessons. I'm doing pretty good on the show."
Chong was also credited with influencing the production of the 2013 film "The Wolf of Wall Street." While in prison serving a sentence stemming from a charge of distributing drug paraphernalia for his involvement in "Chong Bongs," he shared a cell with Jordan Belfort, whose memoir was the basis for the movie. Chong was working on his book "The I Chong: Meditations from the Joint," which caught Belfort's attention.
"I just led by example," Chong said. "I was just writing my book, doing my time. He caught onto my vibe, my routine."
Despite not performing together for decades, Chong said the duo hasn't had any problem rekindling its chemistry on the stage.
"Cheech and I are brothers," he said. "We're family. He can just feel what I'm going to say and vice versa."
Cheech and Chong's 'Up in Smoke Tour'
When: 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 10
Where: Dena'ina Center, 600 W. Seventh Ave.
Tickets: $70.65 at Ticketmaster